Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Dennis Wolff and Parker are in different realms, and are in no way comparable. Wolff had the problem of running a woefully boring system that few in attendance could sit through. You think our PP is tough to watch, try sitting through a Dennis Wolff peach basket slow down game. He recruited players who ended up transferring to other schools, some to play OTHER SPORTS, the obvious implication being Wolff either recruited a guy who wasn't sure he even wanted to play basketball or Wolff took away that guy's desire to play basketball. While Parker has thrown a couple of guys off the team in recent years, Wolff had something like seven guys transfer in his last three seasons. For a basketball team, that's a HUGE loss in numbers. From what I've heard, mostly rumors, Wolff didn't exactly get along with everyone he interacted with, and there were stories of players strongly disliking him, namely those who transferred. And finally, he produced NO results, at all. You can gripe about some of the marginal seasons Parker has had, but there's no denying that he has produced results throughout his career, including the last decade. Wolff's teams were picked to win America East nearly every season while I was a student at BU, and they never won it once, and I don't believe they ever advanced to the America East championship game once while I was there. He was a somewhat disliked, underachieving coach in a bad basketball conference, whose players consistently transferred out of the program, some to play other sports. BU either dominates or is at the top of America East in almost every sport except for men's basketball, and that is the sole reason why they are still a member of America East. Parker competes against the best of the best in his sport and produced top shelf results, with some marginal to medicore results thrown in. Wolff competes against the worst of the worst in his sport, and produced marginal results at best. No comparison between the two whatsoever.

From one Whaler fan to another ( was @ the last game)...YOU'RE SPOT ON ABOUT WOLFF. COULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN IT BETTER MYSELF!!!! As for JP...I too get annoyed with the lack of results, but let's face it, it's Jack's job for as long as he's able and willing to coach. A ton of schools would kill for a 19-12 record, a third place finish in HE, and a top 20 ranking.

Problem is...we're fans of BU, not a lot of other schools, and we aren't used to this.

 

[BU Fan 84]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

If the Administration has any things to do in regard to BU hockey it would be to ask Parker for a succession plan with special emphasis on Assistant Coaches. Parker will not be forced out in my opinion and no AD or President is going to want to start that battle. What they should do is require Parker to upgrade the assistants to compensate for the generation gap/motivation/connection and have a 2-3 year seasoned AC ready after the 2015 season if Parker should decide to retire. One of those AC's needs to have had head coaching experience somewhere (the opposite of Charlie Weis) and possibly be named asst head coach at some point.

A sound transition is the way to go...just like UNC basketball or a similar program, BU hockey simply can't be in disarray with a fired/retired HC, no real successor available and kids leaving/decommiting. That would get the AD fired in my opinion.

So, require Parker to bring in a few new coaches with skills where JP has weaknesses, layout the plan for Parker if he stays after 2015 and if he leaves at the end of 2015. That decision cannot be a surprise to the AD.

If Parker refuses to address the AC situation and/or plan for succession, then the school and AD have a better basis from which to take more aggressive action if the performance of the team fails to improve.

I agree that this is what should be done. What I fear, however, is that this has already been done. I got the feeling, watching the interview of Parker from last week, that he wasn't too concerned with who would coach after him. I think he just addressed the issue with a comment that BU would do it the right way, a smooth transition, etc. To me, his nonchalant attitude implies that it's already taken care of. That leads me to believe he is intending on having Bavis replace him since Bavis is already here and is already the associate head coach. This concerns me since Bavis came on board right around the same time things started going downhill a bit for the program. Everything he's learned from Parker is going to have come during a mostly unsuccessful time period.

 

[Bigus Paulus]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Tell me where I went wrong oh great math guru....

'02 Quarter FInals = top 10
'03 Regional Finals = top 10
'04 NO NCAA = < Top 10
'05 First RD loss in Regionals = < Top 10
'06 Regional Finals = Top 10
'07 First RD loss in Regionals = < Top 10
'08 NO NCAA = < Top 10
'09 National Champions (congrats) = #1
'10 NO NCAA = < Top 10
'11 NO NCAA = < Top 10

By my count half the time BU is a top 10 team, half the time they aren't. What should be more disturbing for BU fans is the recent trend... First half of the last decade BU made the regionals 4 of 5 years.... last 5 years BU hasn't made the tourney over half the time. As Parker gets older and more erratic teams are less and less sucessful.

Actually according to the numbers the '05 and '07 teams were both top 10 teams.

The '05 team was a middle 3 seed and tied 10th in the final Pairwise with Ohio St.

The '07 team was a 2 seed and was 7th in the final Pairwise.

 

[mpereira]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

I agree that this is what should be done. What I fear, however, is that this has already been done. I got the feeling, watching the interview of Parker from last week, that he wasn't too concerned with who would coach after him. I think he just addressed the issue with a comment that BU would do it the right way, a smooth transition, etc. To me, his nonchalant attitude implies that it's already taken care of. That leads me to believe he is intending on having Bavis replace him since Bavis is already here and is already the associate head coach. This concerns me since Bavis came on board right around the same time things started going downhill a bit for the program. Everything he's learned from Parker is going to have come during a mostly unsuccessful time period.

From everything I have read and heard the players love Bavis and I am perfectly ok with him taking over the program in 2015 or whenever Parker decides to retire. There has been only two seasons with him as associate head coach. Last year's team underachieved but this year team's season can be summed up as they beat who they should have beat(the UML,PC's,UVM, not harvard or brown I know) but just couldnt win against better teams consistently(if they take 1 or 2 from BC it could have been a totally different season). But you cant play the what if game now. Next year's team should be one that has the experience and talent to make a run. Bavis' recruiting seems to have been solid since he took over as the top recruiter but most of those guys aren't even playing yet but Noonan and Escobedo are both solid summer pick-ups since Bavis took over recruiting.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Can we PLEASE stop with this ridiculous delusional attitude that "they can still make the tournament?" "Let's see now, if this happens and this happens and this happens and the stock market climbs 9000 points we can get in at #15..." Before the Northeastern series it was "If they sweep." When they lost the first game, it was "If they go 2-1 and then win in the HE tournament." When they lost the series it was, "But we're not out of it yet." GET OVER IT already. They had 39 games to get to the postseason. Their goal differential was PLUS 4. BC's was PLUS 60. UNH's was PLUS 39. I'm not intimating anything about Jack's future, but can we make an objective assessment that it was not a good year, or at least one that did not meet expectations and leave it at that? With a slew of young players coming back, they should be better next year.

Thing is, it's not delusional, if you approach it factually. The scenarios that need to play out in order for BU to get a spot are not out of this world, it's mostly higher seeded teams needing to win, whereas in previous years it was things like Colgate running the table, or Alaska-Anchorage winning two games then having to lose in the championship to Duluth, and not Denver. I'm not commenting on whether they DESERVE a spot, they don't, they played their way out of that one. I'm looking at it solely from a factual standpoint of what does and does not need to happen in order for BU to move in. From that perspective, to say BU is eliminated right now, is very much incorrect and is ignorant of the PWR facts. Again, more unlikely than likely that we get one, but calling it a "stock market goes up 9000 points" type of scenario is simply not true.

From one Whaler fan to another ( was @ the last game)

Lucky, I was at the second to last one against Buffalo when there was still faint hope of a playoff birth - such was the life of a Whaler fan. I still have the Sean Burke jersey my dad gave me (and fit me) for my eigth birthday hanging on my wall. Apparently wearing Whaler merchandise is the new cool thing to do. I swear I saw a Whaler hat or jersey at nearly every BU home game, and many on the road, no exaggerations. At the December BC home game, there were 3 people with a Whaler something on within a five or six seat radius of my seat. Their merchandise is on sale everywhere in the city, in storefront windows right next to Bruins stuff. I don't get it, you've got to be a moron to admit you're a Whaler fan. Probably more like "Oh, that looks cool, I want one." "Do you know what team that is?" "No, but that's a cool logo, and I like green, so I want one."

 

[jcarter7669]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Actually according to the numbers the '05 and '07 teams were both top 10 teams.

The '05 team was a middle 3 seed and tied 10th in the final Pairwise with Ohio St.

The '07 team was a 2 seed and was 7th in the final Pairwise.

They clearly weren't a top 8 team in '07, or they would have won their regional. They were #1 in '09 not because they were a #1 seed but because they finished higher then anyone else.

As such BU was somewhere between 8-16

 

[jcarter7669]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

2. More importantly, ask FightingSioux23 how he took the same set of data you presented, subbing 2001 for 2011, and came to the conclusion using a complex mathematical formula accepted as representative of true success that BU was ranked #7 in terms of program success over that period of time.

Can you point me to that thread. FYI while there is a theoretical chance that BU could somehow make the tournament........ well lets' just say for arguments sake if they do I will fix the posts to reflect that.

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

1. BU is not eliminated this season...

LOLOLOLOL.

2. More importantly, ask FightingSioux23 how he took the same set of data you presented, subbing 2001 for 2011, and came to the conclusion using a complex mathematical formula accepted as representative of true success that BU was ranked #7 in terms of program success over that period of time.

Wow, we're really grasping at straws here, huh? Jee, some guy wrote a complex formula and it proves what I want it to!

 

[Tater]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

They clearly weren't a top 8 team in '07, or they would have won their regional. They were #1 in '09 not because they were a #1 seed but because they finished higher then anyone else.

As such BU was somewhere between 8-16

Now it is Top 8 and not Top 10. The revisions have already started.

Was RIT one of the top 4 teams in college hockey last year?

 

[slurpees]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Can you point me to that thread. FYI while there is a theoretical chance that BU could somehow make the tournament........ well lets' just say for arguments sake if they do I will fix the posts to reflect that.

http://board.uscho.com/archive/index.php/t-90451-p-22.html?

My bad, it was priceless and he had us #9, point still holds true. If you back up to page 20, you'll notice that our combined RPI for the decade was #8. Didn't FS23 do one of these threads as well? This is all I could find in the archives.

 

[pirate]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

From everything I have read and heard the players love Bavis and I am perfectly ok with him taking over the program in 2015 or whenever Parker decides to retire. There has been only two seasons with him as associate head coach. Last year's team underachieved but this year team's season can be summed up as they beat who they should have beat(the UML,PC's,UVM, not harvard or brown I know) but just couldnt win against better teams consistently(if they take 1 or 2 from BC it could have been a totally different season). But you cant play the what if game now. Next year's team should be one that has the experience and talent to make a run. Bavis' recruiting seems to have been solid since he took over as the top recruiter but most of those guys aren't even playing yet but Noonan and Escobedo are both solid summer pick-ups since Bavis took over recruiting.

I should google it but what is Bavis' head coaching experience? Is he really the guy to go head-to-head with York and Umile in recruiting and game coaching? Perhaps he is but my post was written with the presumption that there is something amiss with the program now and it is more likely in the motivation/communication dept than it is in head coaching experience, X/O's or recruiting capability. So, I'm not saying the current guys are bad people, but BU is what their record says they are, the HC ain't going anywhere, we won't get much better talent than is already there, we got a nice shiny building, we've got all the other trappings, we just aren't capable of gritting out wins. If the heir apparent is already here, then I'm going to short the stock.

 

[northeastern]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Go back and read all the NU fans saying Cronin was an idiot if he didn't start Witt last night..

Maybe they didn't call him an idiot exactly..

Yeah yeah im an dumb fanboy but don't come out and blame me for what your own fans said.

 

[chickod]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

From that perspective, to say BU is eliminated right now, is very much incorrect and is ignorant of the PWR facts. Again, more unlikely than likely that we get one, but calling it a "stock market goes up 9000 points" type of scenario is simply not true.

I never said that "BU is eliminated right now." My point is that the more we focus on their slim, statistical chances of making the tournament, the more we sidestep the issue of WHY they are in this position in the first place. This team could not win close, important games. Hopefully, with another year of experience under their belt, this will improve next year. I'm not "IGNORANT of the PWR facts;" however, it's a lot easier to move up when you are still PLAYING as opposed to hoping for all of these permutations. I'm not referring specifically to you - but in general, this thread has been flooded with this stuff for the last two weeks. Every night there was more talk about "if this team does this and if that team does that" rather than focusing on BU WINNING games. I'm sorry, but this obsession with the PWR has diverted attention from the most important thing, which is focusing on and winning the NEXT GAME. If they had done that they would be in the tournament right now.

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Two things:

1.) I Like Bavis as much as anyone here, but I DON'T like him for the head coaching job. Hiring an assistant to take over for a head coach when things aren't going that well??? Why would anyone expect a thing to change??? That's the equivalent of him "having the answers but not telling anyone".

He either doesn't know how to fix this team or is too afraid to speak up. Either way, I don't want him taking over. Quinn or Sullivan are both better choices.

2.) As a Whalers fan, I'm so annoyed that the NHL is selling new Whalers gear. They're not good enough to keep the team in CT but good enough to profit off them. I used to be able to see someone in a Whale hat or Jersey and be able to stop and talk to them about the teams of old. Now, it seems as though there's just a bunch of ironic hipsters wearing Whalers stuff b/c it's cool. IT ISN'T COOL!(it never was really). I still have my autographed Stu Grimson jersey I got at the last game at the mall. I had my girlfriend get the signatures b/c she was getting a better response .

Signatures on the jersey: Andrew Cassels, Geoff Sanderson, Kevin Dineen, Steve Chiasson, Adam Burt, Sami Kapanen, Robert Kron, Kevin Haller, Sean Burke, Jason Muzzati, Nelson Emerson, Kent Manderville, Keith Primeau, Glen Wesley, Steven Rice, Jeff O'Neill, Curtis Leschyshyn, Paul Maurice, and Paul Ranheim.

Need to get that baby framed.

 

[limey]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Ummm, they aren't a top 10 program this year or last year.........just for accuaracy's sake.

We went through this excersize a few weeks ago. Try to name 10 programs better than BU since 2000 and you'll find you can't, objectively.

You'll find 4 easily, and then another 3 or 4 arguably.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

I never said that "BU is eliminated right now." My point is that the more we focus on their slim, statistical chances of making the tournament, the more we sidestep the issue of WHY they are in this position in the first place. This team could not win close, important games. Hopefully, with another year of experience under their belt, this will improve next year. I'm not "IGNORANT of the PWR facts;" however, it's a lot easier to move up when you are still PLAYING as opposed to hoping for all of these permutations. I'm not referring specifically to you - but in general, this thread has been flooded with this stuff for the last two weeks. Every night there was more talk about "if this team does this and if that team does that" rather than focusing on BU WINNING games. I'm sorry, but this obsession with the PWR has diverted attention from the most important thing, which is focusing on and winning the NEXT GAME. If they had done that they would be in the tournament right now.

We're having two different arguments here. I was responding to a post from someone that had was a side conversation not related to the team's performance this year. I agree with your points on the team's performance, I was only making a factual correction. If you look at the previous posts on this subject, the comments you made weeks ago saying how we would need the autobid to get in, my responses were always, that's not true - if they win. They did not win enough, choking away a point in the UVM game, and dropping the final one to NU. We were making the same point, they need to win games, but we disagreed on where it would lead. If you want to talk about the would've, could've, should've, and what needs to be done in the future to right those wrongs, that's a legitimate discussion to have. That's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about what possibilities still exist for this season. I admit when I left Agganis on Sunday I had written off any chance and was only alerted to even bother looking at the PWR when someone posted on here or some other thread that we weren't dead yet. So I ran some scenarios in the predictor, thinking it would require a stock market goes up 9000 points kind of scenario. After playing with it for a few minutes, it was clear that our chances were bit better than that. Not great at all, but not a fraction of a percent. And from that perspective, I thought it was worthwhile to make those points on here for anyone else who'd written off the season to see and make their own judgment.

 

[Jofa]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

If I had the choice of Sneddon or Parker (currently) I'm fine with Sneddon. Maybe a decade ago then I would choose Parker, but the old man is showing signs of dementia. Seriously. BTW, because my opinion doesn't align with yours hardly makes it idiotic. Only an idiot would believe they are always right. Idiot.

Agree totally. I would easily prefer Sneddon over Parker right now. I love how the Parker butt-boys just dismiss his erratic behavoir/demeanor and the player/discipline issues almost every year over the last decade. He has some personal "issues" that appear to be getting worse and its not a pretty sight to see the deterioration or helping the schools representation. Most of the stuff that is said about BU on here by the opposition smack talkers is bs but almost everything they say about Parker is right on in my opinion, they got that part right.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

Signatures on the jersey: Andrew Cassels, Geoff Sanderson, Kevin Dineen, Steve Chiasson, Adam Burt, Sami Kapanen, Robert Kron, Kevin Haller, Sean Burke, Jason Muzzati, Nelson Emerson, Kent Manderville, Keith Primeau, Glen Wesley, Steven Rice, Jeff O'Neill, Curtis Leschyshyn, Paul Maurice, and Paul Ranheim.

Need to get that baby framed.

Ah, this just made my day. Nothing like a bunch of lovable losers to make me feel less bad about the guys on the BU roster.

 

[Jofa]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

LOLOLOLOL.



Wow, we're really grasping at straws here, huh? Jee, some guy wrote a complex formula and it proves what I want it to!

Does anyone really want to see them play another game this year anyway? I dont want to watch this crap show for one more minute. 8 losses versus Beanpot teams this year, nuff said.

 

[Bigus Paulus]

Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?

They clearly weren't a top 8 team in '07, or they would have won their regional. They were #1 in '09 not because they were a #1 seed but because they finished higher then anyone else.

As such BU was somewhere between 8-16

Why would the '07 team need to win the regional as a 2 seed in order to be a top 10 team? Shouldn't the 1 seed be the favorite?

Seedings are based on end of season rankings and the NCAA saw fit through their objective ranking system to rank the '07 team high enough for a 2 seed which by all accounts is within the top 10 or the top 8 as you mention above.